The Delhi High Court on Wednesday denied a public interest litigation (PIL) that sought directions to the Centre and IndiGo airline for fourfold compensation to passengers affected by flight cancellations in November and December. These cancellations arose after the introduction of new Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) norms.
A Division Bench, led by Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela, noted that the court had already acknowledged the matter in another pending PIL. The judges indicated that the petitioner could seek intervention in that case instead.
“We do not see any reason as to why the concerns raised here cannot be taken up in the earlier petition,” the Bench remarked. They highlighted the established jurisprudence allowing courts to expand the scope of public interest petitions.
The court concluded, “We decline to entertain this petition with liberty to the petitioner to seek intervention in the pending petition. The writ petition stands disposed of,” as they dictated their order.
This PIL emerged from the Centre for Accountability and Systemic Change (CASC), represented by its president, Professor Vikram Singh. He argued that the wave of IndiGo flight cancellations raised significant concern across the aviation industry. The plea emphasized that sudden disruptions and last-minute cancellations affected thousands, leading to major inconvenience for numerous stranded passengers.
Advocate Virag Gupta, representing the petitioner, described chaos at airports, citing issues like misdirected baggage, prolonged delays, lack of effective communication from IndiGo, and confusion surrounding refunds and re-booking options.
The PIL additionally called for an independent investigation by a retired judge or the Lokpal to assess potential negligence and lapses by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) that may have led to the current crisis.
Previously, on December 10, the Delhi High Court criticized the Central Government for not responding swiftly to the crisis stemming from IndiGo’s mass cancellations. The court questioned why timely measures were not in place to prevent the escalation, leaving lakhs of passengers stranded and facing exorbitant charges from other airlines.
This remark arose during another PIL that sought directions for the government to assist and refund affected passengers due to the cancellation of hundreds of flights by IndiGo.
Since December 2, IndiGo has faced extensive backlash from both government authorities and passengers after canceling numerous flights, citing recent regulatory changes that alter pilots’ duty and rest time requirements under the revised FDTL framework.
